Chapter 97: Tao Yaoyao’s Secret, Ye Wushang’s Bitter Smile

Tao Yaoyao’s appearance calmed the hearts of the crowd.

But their eyes couldn’t help but drift toward the black-clothed man seated at the head, the shock in their gaze still impossible to conceal.

Ye Wushang paid no heed to these looks.

Instead, his eyes clashed subtly with Tao Yaoyao’s, and in that collision, a great spark was born.

Tao Yaoyao’s gaze carried a trace of playful mockery; her peach blossom eyes were filled with smugness, as though saying: Your secret is about to be unraveled by me.

Seeing her actions, Ye Wushang couldn’t help but smile. Then he slowly raised his right hand, placed it beneath his nose, and made a sniffing gesture.

The moment she saw this move, Tao Yaoyao’s eyes froze. She immediately glared at Ye Wushang with venom, then abruptly shifted her gaze away.

Yet Ye Wushang still caught a faint trace of shyness on the rosy skin of her neck.

Having won, Ye Wushang finally let her go.

Naturally, the auctioneer would not be Tao Yaoyao herself. After all, she was the pavilion master of an entire major state. After saying just a few words, she withdrew.

Very soon, a tall and intellectual-looking beauty stepped onto the stage and went straight to the point.

“The first item up for auction: a fragment of a Divine Spark. Its use, I need not elaborate. With this, if your faction has a peak Deity-level expert backing you, there is a chance they may pierce through to the Longevity Realm and become a true Godly Patriarch!”

“We shall now begin bidding. The starting price is ten million supreme-grade spirit stones, each increment not less than one million.”

“One hundred and fifty million!”

“Two hundred million!”

“Three hundred million!”

The moment the auctioneer’s words fell, a wave of voices followed.

Watching from the side, Ye Wushang clicked his tongue in amazement.

In less than a minute, the price had already surpassed one billion.

And this was only the beginning soon, the numbers soared past two billion, then three.

He had to admit: he had underestimated the wealth of these major powers.

Even with the current prosperity of the Ye Family, yielding vast resources, their yearly revenue was barely one and a half billion.

In the end, this fragment of the Divine Spark was taken by the Eastern Clan for thirteen billion.

The entire Tianluo Dao State could only look on with envy.

This auction truly was extraordinary; every item presented was incomparably precious.

Before long, the Soul-Nurturing Flower Ye Wushang had been waiting to appear.

“Soul-Nurturing Flower a supreme treasure for repairing the soul. Its effects, I trust, need no explanation. This item is exceedingly rare, truly priceless. The starting bid is eight million spirit stones!”

Sure enough, the price skyrocketed, breaking one hundred million almost instantly.

Ye Wushang soon joined the bidding.

Eventually, he secured it for eight billion.

He clearly felt that two other prodigies of great powers had been about to bid higher but they never got the chance.

Not because they feared Ye Wushang or even Ye Zhen.

Ye Zhen was strong, yes, but in a true fight to the death, they would not necessarily cower. His presence was deterrence, nothing more.

But just as they were preparing to increase the bid, the auctioneer suddenly struck the hammer, ending the auction abruptly.

Ye Wushang hadn’t expected this.

He glanced at the beauty on stage only to see her wink at him with a smile.

At that moment, Ye Wushang understood: Tao Yaoyao must have given her instructions.

This little enchantress really does know how to show favor.

Yet just as he was feeling a touch of gratitude, an immense power of Fate suddenly descended toward him.

At once, Ye Wushang felt as though all his secrets were about to be stripped away.

Above the Tianji Pavilion, a massive formation had silently taken shape.

At its center sat Tao Yaoyao, holding a mysterious orb in her hands. The artifact radiated a heavenly aura; it was no common item.

“This time, let’s see where you run!”

Seeing the formation complete, Tao Yaoyao smiled with confidence, her tone brimming with anticipation and delight like a child about to uncover a grand secret.

Realizing her intent, Ye Wushang could only give a helpless, bitter smile.

He had just praised this little girl and now she was stabbing him in the back.

This time, the power was far stronger than the last attempt at the Ye Clan. Clearly, Tao Yaoyao had borrowed the might of both formation and treasure.

But that didn’t mean Ye Wushang would permit his secrets to be pried into.

His eyes flashed with golden brilliance the Eye of Fate activated.

In the boundless void, a vast River of Time and Space emerged, its waves surging, engulfing countless worlds with every surge, reducing them to ash.

As the river rolled, a mysterious power suddenly struck the formation above Tianji Pavilion.

Bang!

A blinding white light flared, then the formation collapsed entirely.

Pff!

Tao Yaoyao’s eyes flew open as blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.

The orb in her hand also cracked faintly.

“Miss!”

Two Deity-level guardians rushed to her side in alarm.

Ignoring them, Tao Yaoyao looked at the shattered formation and fractured orb, a bitter smile curling on her lips.

“I failed… and the price is that he now knows my secret.”

“What!?”

The two guardians’ faces changed drastically, horrified.

Their young lady had employed so many means, yet not only failed to unravel his secrets, but instead exposed her own.

Thinking of her enormous hidden secret, one of them couldn’t help but reveal a murderous intent.

“Miss, your secret is not small. If he spreads it, it will be disastrous for you. Should we eliminate him?”

At this, Tao Yaoyao’s eyes flickered with hesitation.

By her nature, once her secret was seen through, she should have been killed without mercy.

Not even the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion knew her secret.

But when it came to Ye Wushang, she found herself wavering.

Her heart told her clearly she did not want to kill him.

Finally, she shook her head.

“No need. He isn’t the kind to wag his tongue. If he wishes to live, he won’t dare expose my secret. Leave it be.”

After taking a high-grade pill, she stood and walked to the window, gazing down at the vast central region below.

“Ye Wushang, one day, I will uncover all of your secrets.”

Meanwhile, within the auction hall, Ye Wushang ignored the bidding of later treasures, focusing instead on the report from the Eye of Fate.

[Name: Tao Yaoyao]

[Fortune: Purple-Gold]

[Aptitude: Peerless]

[Talent: Child of Heaven’s Secrets, Flawless Body]

[Description: This woman was born from a wisp of divine radiance from the Immortal Realm, carrying with her a fragment of the Dao of Heavenly Secrets. As such, she is a Child of Heaven’s Secret; her comprehension of this Dao surpasses all others.]

This was Tao Yaoyao’s monstrous gift.

The Child of Heaven’s Secrets wielding the very laws of Heaven’s Secrets. Terrifying beyond measure.

Laws were not something Ye Wushang could yet touch.

He knew well: to ascend to Immortality, Emperor-level experts had to comprehend Laws.

If Tao Yaoyao’s identity was exposed, countless imperial and holy forces would descend to seize her.

And at that time, even Ye Wushang and the Ye Clan would be dragged to their deaths.

Thinking this, he could only sigh helplessly.

So this is what they mean by: the more you know, the faster you die.

Taking a deep breath, he stopped caring about other lots.

Soon after, another item appeared, instantly drawing countless eyes.

Across from him, Su Xiaoxiao stiffened visibly.

Ye Wushang immediately understood: this item was of great importance to her.

His pupils contracted sharply when he saw it.

“Next item: a drop of Primordial Variant Phantom Spirit Fox’s blood. The Phantom Spirit Fox, as you all know, is the descendant of the Nine-Tailed Fox and common fox clans, carrying Nine-Tailed Fox blood. Consuming it may awaken the Phantom Spirit Fox’s body.”

“Starting price: ten million spirit stones.”

With these words, Su Xiaoxiao’s expression grew heavier.

Sure enough, as the bidding soared even when she bid three billion at once with determination others refused to relent.

This was no ordinary blood; from a long-term perspective, its value even surpassed the fragmented Divine Spark.

By fifteen billion, Su Xiaoxiao’s face paled with unwillingness.

Alone in this world, not the so-called Saintess of the Charm Race, she had struggled bitterly to reach today.

Accumulating over ten billion in assets had already been unimaginably difficult.

Yet it still wasn’t enough.

Through the Eye of Fate, Ye Wushang glimpsed her past. Her life had been harsh.

Born of a difficult labor that nearly killed her mother, surviving only on remnants left behind.

Her territory was seized by a Heavenly Might Tiger, forcing her into exile.

She awakened her Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline only through desperate survival.

To awaken her fourth tail and unlock her true bloodline inheritance, she had suppressed her cultivation for a hundred years, refusing to break through.

If she could consume this drop of blood, she would undoubtedly awaken her fourth tail.

Such determination and willpower moved even Ye Wushang.

For once, he decided to play the savior and help her.

Of course, he would never admit that part of him wanted to bring her back to the Ye Clan to bear his children.

Su Xiaoxiao clenched her fists tightly, her gaze anxious.

Those rival bidders were all top forces; she lacked the strength to seize the item if they won.

Just then, a voice quietly entered her ear.

“I have ten billion spirit stones. If you want this blood, I can lend it to you.”

Startled, she looked up only to meet Ye Wushang’s eyes, brimming with that absurdly deep affection, as though he were gazing at a treasured pet.

Her heart trembled. A long-lost warmth surged within her chest.

For years, she had never felt true concern.

With her beauty, countless men had courted her but with her third tail’s ability to peer into hearts, she saw through their ulterior motives instantly.

But Ye Wushang’s gaze contained only pure sincerity.

This deeply moved her.

She didn’t understand why Ye Wushang would help her, but at this moment, she had no other choice.

“Thank you.”

She looked deeply at him, expressing her gratitude.

With Ye Wushang’s strength, she knew this was no joke.